a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to a system for generating electric power from a turbine generator located within a water cycling system. Due to the nature of the head created in this system by use of compressor motive force to force air into the cycling water below the top of the cycle, a boosting affect is accomplished and the cycling water is used to turn the turbine generator.
b. Description of Related Art
The following patents relate to power generation:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,598 to Alex Moritz et al. shows that power is generated from a two-phase geothermal fluid containing a substantial amount of non-condensable gases, typically not less than about three percent by extracting a geothermal fluid from the ground under its own pressure, and passing the extracted geothermal fluid through an indirect heat exchange device containing an organic fluid for vaporizing the latter and producing vaporized organic fluid and heat depleted geothermal fluid. The vaporized organic fluid is expanded in a turbine coupled to a generator for producing power and expanded vaporized organic fluid which is condensed to a liquid and returned to the indirect heat exchange device. Finally, the heat depleted geothermal fluid may be returned to the ground via a rejection well.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,625 to Lucien Y. Bronicki describes a geothermal power plant for operating on geothermal fluid which includes an open cycle power plant responsive to the geothermal fluid for producing power and producing heat depleted geothermal fluid. Associated with the open cycle power plant is a closed Rankine cycle organic fluid power plant for producing power. Heat from the geothermal fluid is transferred to the closed cycle power plant; and heat depleted geothermal fluid is injected into a rejection well. The open cycle power plant includes a condenser that operates at a pressure greater than or equal to about atmospheric pressure with the result that the condenser is directly vented to the rejection well. Uncondensible gases contained in the geothermal fluid are thus passed directly into the rejection well making the power plant environmentally acceptable. The operation of the condenser at a pressure greater to or equal to atmospheric pressure eliminates the need for a vacuum pump and thus increases the useful work produced by the hybrid power plant so constructed, and simplifies its design and operation. The same approach is applicable to elimination of noncondensible gases in steam produced in industrial processes rather than from a geothermal well.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,707 to Frank Scieri et al. describes a hydro electric generating system to produce power by changing the potential energy of water to kinetic energy to drive a turbine that is coaxially connected to a generator. Water from the ambient enters the reservoir and is directed by a valve to a conduit to the turbine which turns a generator to produce electricity. The system is constructed in such a matter that it may supply power during peak power demand and be used as a storage system during low power demand.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,623 to Jerry M. Edmondson et al. describes a method and apparatus for implementing the same to provide fresh potable water and electric power from a source of natural brine by the use of energy derived from a geothermal source of pressurized fluid that is of a temperature of greater than 212 degrees Fahrenheit, and which fluid may contain numerous minerals and extraneous material entrained and/or dissolved therein, together with apparatus for carrying out the method. In addition, the invention encompasses a method of providing a clean source of heat for energy conversion from a geothermal source together with an apparatus for carrying out the method.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,858 to Morris R. Jeppson describes steam resources, which may in some cases be forms heretofore considered unusable because of low energy content or corrosive contamination, are used for electrical power and water treatment operations in installations where these formerly separate activities may be combined, with the waste products of one being a valuable input to the other. In one embodiment, discharge heat from a steam driven generating station and contaminated sewage water, each of which formerly presented costly or environmentally hazardous disposal problems, are combined to produce sterilized water reusable for crop irrigation. In another embodiment, fresh water enroute to a municipal utility system is used to condense discharge steam from generating station turbines for return to the boilers while sterilizing the water to reduce or eliminate cholorination requirements. Still another embodiment enables use of turbine driven generators to produce electrical power from corrosive geothermal steam sources without exposure of the turbines to such steam and sewage water may be sterilized as a by-product of the system. Means are also disclosed for the large scale pumping of water utilizing such steam energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,426 to Ingvar Janelid describes a powerplant which is driven by a gas turbine. The compressed air for the gas turbine is accumulated in a rock chamber. The rock chamber communicates through a conduit with a lake, so that the rock chamber can receive water to any desired level. A pump is arranged in said conduit, to assist the flow of water from the lake to the rock chamber or vice versa.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.